The Essence of Christmas

What do you think of when you think of Christmas? Fairy lights, carols and eggnog? Parties, parades and presents? What is fundamentally a religious holiday has become more of a marathon of excessive consumption, quite far away from its sacred origins. 

The extent to which people are conscious or even aware of why they are celebrating is interesting. The birth of Jesus Christ, and religion in general, may not seem very real or relevant. However if we look to the essence of his presence, whether that be in our own lives or in the history books, we see that what he represents is very relevant to all of us; love.

Love is definitely something we may associate with Christmas time, spending time with loved ones and exchanging gifts. However that is often very separate to any kind of spiritual concept of the word, which would by nature be unmotivated and unconditional. Whether we accept Jesus as “the way, the truth and the life”, as a good-hearted role model or a fabricated figure of folklore, his words and actions no doubt represent this highest form of love.

If we look past any perversions of practise or interpretation, we can see a similar stream of love running through the heart of many religions. Hoping to cut straight to this experience of the Divine, many people are increasingly channeling their ethereal energies to “spirituality”. It implies a sense of openness and unity, bypassing the divisions and dogma religion tends to breed.

Indeed as Jesus offered “the way”, this implies the path to a goal, not the goal in and of itself. Religion offers ancient knowledge to channel our contemplation and establish supportive guidelines, but without the spiritual essence this remains merely on the level of culture and mortal morality.

On the other hand, spirituality without religion can also be dangerous. Lack of clear knowledge and practical application can easily lead to confusion; people can do justify doing anything under the guise of “spirituality” and misinterpret their psychological or sensual experiences as such.

We see many religions without spirituality, and some attempts at spirituality without religion, though what we are really looking between these extremes is the true essence. We see our unification in this quest in the form of our shared consciousness, the living force or “soul” in each living entity, and the common striving of each soul for lasting happiness in a world of temporary pleasures.

Bhakti yoga (the art of connection in love and devotion) offers direct knowledge and perception of that essence in each of us, and the deep satisfaction in relation with our Supreme Source. It is a non-sectarian spiritual science that pragmatically synthesizes philosophy, culture and experience.

So if we identify with a religion, we can ask ourselves if we are getting the result of our rituals by really engaging our heart and soul into our practise. If we consider ourselves spiritual, we can ask ourselves whether we have the clarity and compassion to share love with others the way that Jesus exemplified. If we don’t have either, we can ask ourselves if our religion of materialism is bringing us real fulfillment.

As consciously evolved humans, and especially in this transitionary time of year, we owe it to ourselves to ask these deeper questions and find answers. Or at least we can add it to our New Years resolution lists :)

Equal rights

 

 

Throughout modern history, we see that liberation movements have sought to establish equality against perceived oppressors; not just women but ethnic groups, religious groups, homosexuals and so on.

Many people realize, or at least intuit, that there is something in all of us which is the same, and thus equality is a natural cause to fight for. Indeed, that “something” is consciousness, the life-force active not just in all humans but in all living entities. It is the natural state of that consciousness to be free, and thus we seek to rectify any infringements on equal right to such freedom.

We hear so much about “rights”, somewhat of a buzz word nowadays, yet few people are concerned with the flip-side of that coin; responsibility. One aspect of this lies with the leaders of society, their responsibility being to ensure the rights of the people (and animals!) are preserved. But actually each and every one of us has our own duty, dare I say it.

According to Vedic knowledge, a person’s individual duty is determined by their psychophysical nature. The yoga texts outline the perfect societal model, in which each person is supported in their prescribed work, and as a result the Vedic society functioned very harmoniously.

We hardly see that in today’s society, where we have become spoiled brats in our social and existential evolution, demanding without any concern or care for our obligations, earning our cosmic keep as it were. This is very typical of our current collective psyche, only considering ourselves and what fits into our little bubble of existence.

We must accept that there are universal laws and a natural balance in this world, and for what we take we must also give. Thus having equal rights means having the equal opportunity to carry out one’s own individual responsibility and to be respected and protected for doing so, not being able to unaccountably avoid duty or to do someone else’s.

But due to our ignorance we see inflated self-righteousness and mindless neglect of the Earth, its various inhabitants and of our own bodies. This ignorance is due to “lust”, the consumerist coverings over our pure state of consciousness.

In an uncontaminated state we naturally express love to others and wider society by offering our gifts and abilities; this culminates in bhakti yoga, as described in Bhagavad-Gita, the science of self-realisation based on doing one’s duty and linking it with the Supreme – not changing the way one lives in the world, but simply purifying and transforming the consciousness into one of love and devotion.

Therefore reviving our selfless nature and lovingly contributing to a society with spiritual structure, welfare and goals is the perfect way to ensure happiness for all living entities. When all stratums and species in society feel satisfied and supported, there will be no question of exploitation or inequality.

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Self Improvement

Whether it appears on your book shelf, on your To-Do List or on your last nerve, “self-improvement” doesn’t just apply to the eponymous industry. We see attempts in all aspects of our existence; in the gym, at university and in front of the mirror on a Friday night.

It’s interesting that we put all this energy in to physical, emotional and intellectual betterment when one day we will all die. All the investments limited to this life will certainly leave with us. Which begs the question: why it is such a natural desire to move forward in these ways beyond just the fulfillment of basic needs for survival like the animals?

According to the yoga texts of ancient India, this “self” is not the body, the mind or the intelligence. The individual “me” in each of us is a minute particle of consciousness that goes by many names – the light, the life-force or the soul, that which never dies or degenerates.

Vedic knowledge explains that this eternal soul is constantly evolving through different stages and species of life, using this body like a vehicle. As one may crash a vehicle, and get out into another one, when we leave this body our soul continues its journey in another body.

The petrol that fuels us on this journey is desire. The nature of the self isananda, happiness, and that is what all our desires are aimed towards in one way, shape or form. Ultimately it is not the mastery of a particular skill or some bits of paper and copper that we work so hard for. In and of themselves, these things are inconsequential. It is the happiness we think will be derived from such things that we are actually motivated by.

Similarly self-improvement is just another way to maximise happiness; togain more esteem from ourselves and others and to remove any blocks to enjoyment. Our capitalist, consumerist culture falsely offers us that happiness, though deep down we know that no amount of material acquisition will bring that permanently. Ultimately happiness comes from love, which is cultivated in relationship with others. Love is a reciprocal energy.

This is where we see some irony in that many self-development programsovertly or subtly encourage selfishness; prioritising oneself’s needs and beliefs over and above anyone else’s. The nature of true love is selflessness, to emerge out of our own sphere and to lovingly serve another person and their needs.

In Sanskrit the word “dharma” loosely translates as “nature” or “that which sustains” – for example, the dharma of sugar is its sweetness. Without the quality of sweetness, sugar can no longer be sugar. The dharma of the soul, the true self, is this selfless love. Doing good to others feels good; even if we do it with impure motivations, we still get a buzz and that is because it has brought us closer to this inherent nature.

So real self-improvement means cultivating this mood of service- to our loved ones, to others, to the world. In the highest sense this service mood can be applied to the soul’s relationship with the Supreme Soul, the ultimate higher reality. Only when we take that step out of our own sphere of interest will our connection to our true self, our eternally happy soul, be improved and perfected, and all our desires for happiness be satisfied.

 

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Russell's Revolution

“Spiritual revolution”; the latest catchphrase on Britain’s lips, thanks to amost colourful catalysis by comedian Russell Brand over the last couple of weeks. Brand himself admits he is neither a political genius nor a spiritual exemplar, however amidst all the hype and hypocrisy, no doubt he has raised the reality of these issues to the forefront of people’s minds.

Revolution is the natural conclusion of the intelligent person who sees that superficial shuffles within the current structure are not bringing about the change we need. There have been many instances of such drastic upheavals in history, however it is hard to see one that has resulted in success.

A new system must be based on unity for it to sustain, and this is where the spiritual aspect of Russell’s Revolution becomes crucial. As he points out: “We are all connected”. This is a deep realisation that transcends the platforms of prejudice and power struggles in this world based on nationality, religion, money or skin colour.

Whether we call it our life-force, our consciousness or our soul, there is something that connects us not just to our fellow humanity, but to everything. The root of all our political, social and personal problems is down to the covering of such consciousness in the forms of selfishness, greed and anger.

However if we become attuned to the source of this binding thread, an Absolute Love in our relative world of duality, people will be selfless and satisfied and these problems will naturally dissolve.

But how to make this consciousness a reality for everyone?

This is what Brand fails to provide in his presentation. His plan of action:

Meditate, direct our love indiscriminately and our condemnation exclusively at those with power. Revolt in whatever way we want, with the spontaneity of the London rioters, with the certainty and willingness to die of religious fundamentalists or with the twinkling mischief of the trickster. We should include everyone, judging no one, without harming anyone.

It sounds good, but we don’t need more of the same artfully ambiguous rhetoric we hear from the politicians. We need practical alternatives. We need a plan. A plan based on unifying knowledge that transcends all our material diversity and leads us to a common goal; without such directionwhere are the leaders leading and what is driving our energies forward?

The yoga knowledge offers such pragmatic spiritual knowledge and purpose. Far from being another dogmatic religion or airy fairy philosophy, the Vedic paradigm stretches back at least 5,000 years and is legitimised through anauthorised succession of pure teachers.

The tendency of our society (especially revolutionaries) is to reject any kind of authority (especially spiritual) due to mistrust of those they have been misled or mistreated by. That is why the Vedas reject sentimental notions of belief or blind faith, and offer a scientific process by which a person can tangibly experience its validity in their own consciousness.

We don’t need an external revolution, but internal evolution; a revolution of consciousness. The root of all the worlds problems lies in the impurity of people’s hearts. No matter who is in power, or by what system that person gains power, if they are not pure then there is bound to be injustice.

So again, how to bring about that change?

In the famous words of Mahatma Gandhi: Be the change you want to see in the world. We cannot force anyone else to change, everyone has their free will, but we can inspire change through our actions.

You may think: “Isn’t it selfish to focus on myself as the world spins madlyon and people are suffering?” When we study the methodology of the spiritual science offered in bhakti yoga (the yoga of love and devotion), we see that external change is inextricably linked with internal change.

Each individual freely making that choice is our only power and the only solution. It’s certainly a lot easier to point our fingers and parade our pitchforks than it is to sacrifice our comfort zone or surrender to a cause, however noble.

So the only real questioning remaining is: Do we dare to change ourselvesand our lives in order to change the world?

 

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Freedom

Take a moment to remember the time you felt most free: perhaps when you finished your final exams? Or when you boarded the plane on your last holiday? Or maybe that time when you slurped, sniffed or smoked x, y or zsubstance?

There is no denying that intoxication of its many varieties leads people to feel some degree of freedom – from stress, from social norms and from theirinhibitions.

The question here is not whether such indulgences are right or wrong, but it is this: Could you happily go without?

Someone can freely choose to, say, drink, but if that person could not freely choose the other option (not to drink), then how much freedom is there?

Often only when these things are taken away is it obvious that we are trapped by them, not liberated.

Free will is an inherent and indisputable quality of the soul. But individuals may choose to act in ways that rob them of that innate freedom, surrendering their power of choice to external influences.

Even if our habits are under control, and we manage to avoid responsibility for a while, we are still trapped internally by our desires and our ways of thinking.

Real freedom comes when we can choose what to say and do whatever the situation, and when we can always choose love then our freedom is perfect.

We hear about freedom of speech, but if we don't have the choice to think about what we say before we say it, then where is the true freedom?

We hear about freedom of expression, but if we don't have the choice of whether to act on those emotions, then where is the true freedom?

We hear about freedom of thought, but if we just rely on our conditioning and limited mortal capacity to perceive information, then where is the true freedom?

 

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Bad to the bone

“Good girls go to Heaven but bad girls go everywhere”.

In our recent history, immorality has not only become normalized, but it is also glorified and worn like a shiny badge. It may become an identity (“bad-ass”, “well ‘ard”) or simply a disillusioned necessity (“nice guys finish last”,“you gotta do what you gotta do”).

Either way, the conception of piety or “doing the right thing” has become most unfashionable. For the rebels there is something so innately irritating about the “goody two shoes”.

So where does the deep-seated aversion to “goodness” come from?

The Vedic texts explain that as souls, the state of our original consciousness is “good” and loving towards everyone. But in this world we develop conditioning; our own unique trifle of habits, beliefs and qualities creating a prism through which we filter events and thus dictates our mind, intelligence and actions.

These coverings over our natural purity accumulate over many lifetimes and,whether or not you accept reincarnation, we can all observe the influences of events and experiences over our perception even just in this lifetime.

The root of this contamination is in the energy known as lust, as explained in Bhagavad-Gita:

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.

Thus the wise living entity's pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire. (3.38-39)

Lust is used broadly here and simply refers to a perverted form of love. Lust is selfish versus love, which is selfless. It fuels our selfish desires to enjoy and exploit this world and the people in it.

It is described as an “enemy” because it drives us to act selfishly in trying tosatisfy these never-ending desires, thus creating “knots in the heart”.

Knots may be useful in holding together, in this case, a false sense of self asa powerful, autonomous person. But many knots tied together are also uncomfortable and restrictive, not to mention very hard to undo!

In this entangled state we see people as threats or inconveniences, and thus we experience impatience and enmity. Our hearts become too hard to feel the sweet softness of our shared needs, experiences and spiritual identity.

It is described further on in the yogic texts that that the only way to cut through these knots of karma is with the “sword of knowledge”. With knowledge we can see our present state of conditioning for what it really is, and with application of spiritual technology we can begin to severe the ties these restrictive ropes hold over us.

Shrugging off these shackles, love can flow freely through our hearts. This heart-melting experience is what we all seek for in all our warped attempts for happiness and peace in this world.

The pure soul is described as sat-cid-ananda, “full of eternality, knowledge and bliss”. If we suspend our negative conceptions of “goodness” as being a blind follower or a boring drone, we can experience that true purity is full of variety, expression and intelligence – and the freedom to truly love.

 

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Semolina Dhokla

Courtesy of http://gourmetgopi.blogspot.co.uk

Dhokla is a traditional Indian snack from Gujarat - it can be made in different ways, but the quickest version is basically a steamed semolina bread. It reminds me abit of cornbread, not sure why because they dont taste anything alike. Anyways, its yummy, super quick to make and easily digestible.

This recipe make approx 60 generous pieces of dhokla. Serves approx 15-16 people (3-4 pieces each).

Ingredients:
4 cups semolina
4 cups thick yoghurt
2 tsps Eno fruit salts (a raising agent available in Indian grocery stores)
2 TBSP shredded fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp sambar/chat masala
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 TBSP salt or to taste
1 1/2 cups water (or as required to make the batter - if the yogurt is runny then you wont need much water).

Dressing:
Freshly chopped cilantro
Approx 2 TBSP mustard seeds
Approx 2 TBSP sesame seeds
1/2 tsp hing
Approx 2 TBSP ghee or oil
Approx 1 cup water

Set up a steaming rack. We used a big pot 1/3 filled with water and a round wok ring inside to set a baking tray on top of for steaming the dhokla. Bring water to boil. Oil the baking tray - should be at least an inch and 1/2 deep.

Mix semolina with spices and salt. Add in the fresh ginger. Mix all well. Mix in the yoghurt and water as required to make a semi thick batter - should run from a spoon easily enough. if you make it too runny add more semolina.

In the last possible moment at the Eno salt and mix. Pour into the baking tray and set on the steaming rack immediately. Cover the pot to trap the steam inside. After 15 minutes it should be ready. Remove from heat.

While the dhokla is steaming prepare the dressing. Heat ghee or oil. When hot add in mustard and sesame seeds. When they begin popping add in the hing for a couple seconds and remove from heat. (Some people like abit more spice and add whole green chili's into the oil too).

Swirl it over the dhokla, and use a spoon to gently spread it out evenly. Take approx a cup of water into the pan you used for the dressing and sprinkle over the dhokla. This helps prevent it from drying out. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top.

Allow to cool. Then cut into squares and serve with a chutney, as part of a meal, or as is. :-)

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